rawmilkandrubberboots

It’s been a little while since the massive Maple Leaf Foods recall of a hodgepodge of processed meats.  Since then, has the recall left a bad taste in your mouth?

Research from the University of Guelph has determined yes!  They found that post-recall consumer perception of these meats has changed by 65% in the 2,000 people surveyed.  Consumption (or should I say avoidance) has jumped from 6% pre-recall to 36% post-recall.  However, like most consumers that love their slab of bologna or turkey sandwich, 70% still consider these foods safe.

I could ramble on about how processed meats are full of “extras” (that’s why they’re called PROCESSED!) and how buying locally raised meat is better but I think I’ve already made my arguments on that front.  However, this little survey shows how easily led consumers can be.  Though there is no debating the validity of the recall, it would only take some writer or marketer to concoct some story about ANYTHING, create a flashy commercial and POOF… here come the ignorant-minded!  Do your research people!!!!  Don’t let others sway you as to what to eat and what not to.

So for those of you still snacking on the “and/or” meats that make up the processed meats family, maybe you can’t taste the difference listeriosis makes.

Pilgrims, The Plymouth, pumpkin pie, stuffing, veggies, and college football… what am I forgetting?  Oh right!  The mutant turkey!  While you southern friends celebrate Thanksgiving (we already had ours last month), why not sit and reflect as tryptophan flows through your veins how Butterball looked for love.

Turkey used to be a special occasion food, but now there are sandwiches, soups, sausage, ground meat, etc..; so the ugly-faced bird has gobbled into our diets quite rapidly.

To combat this boom in demand turkey producers had to genetically select for breast size combined with higher daily gain to market birds sooner.  However, the beefed turkey was now too big to do something very important.  Reproduce.

The producers neglected to realize that an increase in breast meat would interfere with the courting and mating of the tom on the hen.

So now when it times for next year’s turkeys to exit our ovens, its predecessor will have a date with a restraining stand, inverted cloacae, and a plastic tube.  Now that’s something to be thankful for?

Too bad artificially increased breast size didn’t cross species into humans… no more babies for Britney.

I’m going to step down off the scientific/rational soapbox today and stand on the rant-box instead.  The title of this blog pretty much says it all.  How many times have you been in a hurry or just have a couple things to pick up quickly only to watch the “normal” lanes roll through like cattle through a shoot?

Today is a prime example of such an incidence.  I needed: lettuce, milk, pizza for supper, and chicken for lunch.  Was I in a hurry?  Not overly but I did have things to do.

Upon analyzing the lunch-hour rush at the grocery lines I picked the express lane (10 or less) thinking I would be in and out without a headache. HA!

 In front of me was a woman well into her life (and I’m not prejudicing about her age) with a mini-cart FULL of goodies (fruit cakes, tea muffins, milk, cans of everything, and personal items) well exceeding the “legal” limit.

So I just smiled, not being in a super hurry, and thought about my week so far: thesis submitted, job offer, etc.. .  I was happy to notice the lady was using cloth bags instead of plastic; but these bags would kick start my blood pressure.  After the grocer had filled plastic bags with the ladies goods she pulls out the cloth bags and asks for EVERYTHING to be re-packed in her eco-friendly bags.

Oh and I should mention that I was holding my items in my arms watching this unfold.  So I grew more and more impatient as the line behind me got longer and longer.

Finally after 15 minutes of being next-in-line my turn had come and past within a swipe of my credit card; a fine example of the optimum execution of utilizing the express lane.

Sort of pointless to write about if you think about it, but something everyone has witnessed or has been guilty of at one point in time.

Sign Sign everywhere a sign
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign.

[/rant]

Warning the follow advertisement contains materials that may be unsuitable for grease-addicted children.  Viewer discretion is advised.

This isn’t exactly agriculture-based but does relate to my blog “Where’s The Beef” and the slow food movement.  After browsing the news for possible inspiration for today’s blog this jumped out and should be placed in the “Are You Serious?” News.

To quote the article Fast-Food Ad Ban Could Cut Child Obesity: US Study “Banning fast-food advertising on television in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children (age 3-11) by as much as 18 per cent, researchers said.”I have an idea on cutting that percentage even further….. DON’T FEED YOUR KIDS FAST FOOD!!!!!!!  How else does an eight-year old get their hands on McDonalds or Burger King?Schools have been trying to combat this trend by offering healthy choice menus in cafeterias, but some kids are forming rum-running organizations and selling sugar and grease fixes to other children.  A great prerequisite for organized crime.

I was at a birthday party last night for our nephew’s first birthday and there were all sorts of veggies and fruit platters, and I was amazed how the few children that were there old enough to eat (and decide) what solid foods they enjoyed turned to pineapple and strawberries before chips.  Even better were the words of encouragement from those at the age of majority towards the health-“conscious” infants.

For those of us reading this that are guilty pumping their kids with grease and french fries, why not get kids involved in preparing healthy foods?  Start your own fast-food intervention, and don’t forget to turn off the television…. wouldn’t want them to relapse!

This morning at about 4am I was on my way to work (as usual) only to find my vehicle covered in snow.  This being the first storm of the year I was ill-prepared, especially so early in the morning, but I managed to grab my wool mitts and hat.  As I stood there I was thankful for my warm clothes.

Sheep farming is sort of an opportunistic venture where the whole animal can be used for one purpose or another: meat (mutton or lamb), wool, leather, even milk.  However it is becoming harder for some producers to make a living off their products because of imports from New Zealand.  It’s hard to compete with a country that produces and exports 50% of the world’s lamb and mutton production.

Back on this side of the International Date Line, sheep producers have come up with new income ventures to supplement their farm such are agri-tourism, handcrafted wool products, and of course the meat production.

It is very seldom that I wear wool clothes that weren’t handcrafted (often by people I know) so I would like to think I am helping to support these cottage industries in a small way.  I also enjoy a meal of lamb on occasion, but sadly it is a rare treat because of the high price.

So this winter, if you are lucky enough to live in sub-zero climates, try a pair of homemade local wool mittens and hat for size!

Mother’s milk is always best, especially those first precious sips.  For dairy calves mother’s first milk is called colostrum and is packed with proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, immunoglobulins (Ig), and growth-factor like hormones.  Colostrum is short-lived, only lasting for generally 3 days.

Immunoglobulins are a type of protein that is important in increasing the passive immunity of the newborn, and colostrums are 100-fold higher in Ig than normal milk.

Growth factor, specifically IGF-I and IGF-II, help to stimulate cell growth and is associated with anabolic effects on muscle tissue and skeletal muscle.

So why am I writing about a liquid “PowerBar” meant for neonatal cows?  Remember back to my blog about pre- and pro-biotics.  We are knowingly consuming bacteria to benefit our body’s active intestinal microbial populations.

Colostrum MAY have is perks for humans as well.  The Ig’s found in colostrums have been shown to be similar to ones found in humans.  These Ig’s may especially be of interest for those of us that have suppressed immune systems or which to increase our immunity.

Similarly, the growth factors may have a positive effect on human tissues.  This is especially of interest to those of us (not me) that exercise extensively or have damaged muscle tissue.

Now (not writing on personal experience) I should warn you that colostrum doesn’t taste like a glass of ice cold chocolate milk, and has been shown to increase flatulence.  Nonetheless, humans that currently consume colostrum take between 20-60 g/ day.    

With the possibility of muscle enhancement maybe colostrum is next on the banned substances list for professional sports.  Hopefully Bonds and Clemons are lactose intolerant.

I had initially been holding this topic off until I read Friend’s “Compassionate Carnivore”, but two news articles recently on this topic made the opportunity to irresistible to skip.  How does a cow go from standing in a field (or feedlot) to living with a sesame seed bun and condiments?  And what does it take to get it there?

Researchers from the University of Hawaii and John Hopkins University have used carbon and nitrogen isotopes from purchased burgers (both beef and chicken) to try and determine a) what the animal was fed, and b) what was its welfare pre-mortem.

Corn.  Some have said it is the most overly priced and marked-up product in the world, and with valid proof.  I can almost bet that as you read this you have come into contact with some corn derivative at least once (probably more than that) so far today.  Corn is everywhere!  Soda, popcorn (duh), candy, makeup, pastries, sweeteners, the list goes on and on.  Since the 1940’s, thanks in part to massive fertilizer usage, corn production for one acre of land has jumped from 80 bushels to 200 bushels;  mainly to curb our addiction/dependence/reliability on corn.

Back to the research at hand.  These researchers found that EVERYTHING they purchased at fast food restaurants across the USA was “laced” with some form of corn.  Animals grown for the purposes of meat consumption were overfed corn products to increase their daily gain getting them on the McMenu earlier.

The researchers link nitrogen isotopes to the well-being of the animals pre-slaughter (and also to determine the amount of fertilizer used).  They found that, in conjunction with USDA production values (48.6b Lbs red meat, 8.1b meat chickens); chickens were often raised in extreme confinement.  A similar statement can be said for beef.  Feedlots are mooing cities where cows are only known for how long they’ve been there rather than being known as an individual (not to get animal welfare preachy or anything).

So that’s where the Whopper and Big Mac come from.  There is a current movement to boycott (for lack of a better term) consuming “fast food”, such a movement has been dubbed “slow food” (how original).  Slow food isn’t food made in a slow cooker or crock pot, but it is food that you make at home and you know where it came from (e.g. organic, local, free-range, etc..).

Wouldn’t you rather know that your family’s supper was raised just down the road on a small(ish) farm where no hormones and un-necessary antibiotics were used?

If not…. I’ll take a #1 Super-Size (no tomatos)! Oh…. And would I be able to get extra corn?

I’m not writing this blog to debate the views of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but I am going to talk briefly about their idea to replace dairy milk with HUMAN milk in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

I myself, and my fiancée, have worked extensively in an animal-filled environment: humane shelters, veterinary clinics, and dairy farms and I have the upmost respect for anyone who wants to convey their enthusiasm and passion for the proper treatment of animals.  But to go as far as to want to replace dairy cows with human beings solely for the purpose of producing milk?  I wouldn’t touch that proposal with a ten-foot pole!

Upon reading the letter from the VP of PETA I can help but this “honestly?  Did you lose a bet?”  There are some valid points she suggests, some of which I have talked about in previous blogs, and she talks about how horrible and cruel the dairy industry is and how dairy cows are just milk machines that are forced to be pregnant only to produce more milk. 

To solve this she suggests the American iconic creamery to ditch dairy and pick up humans?  Dairy cows (on average) produce 50kg of milk a day.  A woman can produce, literally, a drop in the bucket in comparison: 354mL/day if you they were milked every 4 hours for a 24 hour period.  It would require every woman of reproducing age in America to get pregnant and start lactating in order to fill the void left by dairy cattle to supplement Ben & Jerry’s production requirements.

I’m not going to get into the ethics and regulations of using a human-byproduct to feed to humans.  They don’t even let cows eat cow-byproduct (i.e. bonemeal, bloodmeal), so why would it be allowed for humans?!

Love animals yes, but what woman reading this would substitute themselves as a milk-making machine just so Black & White Betsy can move on to greener pastures?  Talk about brain-freeze!

“Now with prebiotics!”  “Now with probiotics!”  Amazing how we as consumers will run after a product when they see a fancy “scientific” word assuming it is good for them.  But when it comes to pre- and pro-biotics do you even know what you’re eating?

In the simplest way of distinguishing between pre- and pro- is to think of them as just that: PRE (aka before) and POST (aka after).  PRE-biotics are food ingredients that help the bacteria currently in our intestinal tract, and hopefully helping our health.  PRO-biotics are food ingredients that contain live microorganisms that will supplement the microorganisms currently present in our GI tract.

So when should we eat pre-biotics and when should we eat pro-biotics?  Pre-biotics have been shown to increase the absorption of calcium and other minerals, improves intestinal pH, and helps in regulating bowel movements.

Pro-biotics can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, help bacteria replenish after GI upset (i.e. diarrhoea), and also help the immune system.

So now you know what you are eating.  Both of these biotics help our gut bugs in different and similar ways.  One word of caution is that some people have adverse effects when first starting a biotic plan, such as upset stomach, gas, and increased bowel movements.

Mmmmmmmmm…… eating bacteria makes my tummy happy!

It seems another “age-old” myth has been laid on my desk.  Are omega-3 enriched eggs worth it?  Now before you think I put the weasel in the henhouse, I, as usual, present facts from scholarly references (available upon request) and merely put the pieces together for you the viewing audience to digest and ponder.   

I asked a fellow graduate this question quite some time ago at her thesis defence as she purposed that feeding ingredient X (of marine origin) may increase omega-3 fatty acid content of her eggs making them a value-added food for humans.  Having dealt with these fatty acids in my own research (and was faced with a similar question) I asked if cooking an omega-3 egg would destroy these important fatty acids therefore rendering the egg as just another infertile avian embryo (which is what eggs are if you think about it).  Well you could see the ruffled feathers that day, all in the name of research; so I tried to get to the bottom of this, what I thought might be possible conspiracy theory and another marketing ploy.

  Research from the University of Nebraska found that people looking to get their omega-3 fix from eggs would have to crack open FOUR eggs a day to replace the one meal of oily fish.  Four!  Most people struggle eating four eggs a week, myself included.  From this research one can conclude that omega-3 eggs are what they’re cracked up to be if you want to eat 2 cases of eggs a week.

My next question, and maybe the most complex, will omega-3 fatty acids in eggs survive the cooking process?  Here’s the yes, no, maybe, who cares answer I have uncovered.  Even though people poach eggs and fish (play on words… sorry) consumers do not want their eggs to taste fishy which is a determinant factor of oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids. 

The Flax Council of Canada published a review of enriched eggs and said that when marine sources of omega-3’s (i.e. fish oil or algae oil) were included in poultry diets even in amounts as low as 3% there was a definite flavour associated with them.  This is backed by researchers from University of Alberta who found that even at temperatures as low (for cooking) as 25C there was an effect on flavour quality.  This is proof that the omega-3’s had oxidized (either because of storage or cooking) before it reached the plates of consumers. Being the Flax Council, they recommended that flaxseed be used as the omega-3 fatty acid (linolenic acid) found in flaxseed is more stable than marine sourced omega-3’s (see my blog: Omega-3’s Back to the Source, for more info on the differences between land and sea omega-3’s).

So now you are again armed with the knowledge to make your own decision whether or not you want to spend the money on flax-fed eggs when you are really concerned about increasing your DHA intake, and whether you want to eat 4 eggs to offset a meal of salmon.

Another myth has been cracked.  That was over-easy (I’m going to stop with the egg jokes before I hurt myself)!